By David Lawani, Abuja
The Senate Spokesperson, Ajibola Basiru has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Gboyega Oyetola remain the party and candidate to beat on July 16 Osun State governorship election.
Basiru stated this when he led a group known as ‘Friends of Gboyega Oyetola’ to purchase the APC expression of interest and nomination forms, amounting to N22.5 million for the Governor to seek re-election at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
The lawmaker while dismissing suggestions that there was a mass defection from APC to other parties in Osun noted: “There’s nothing like mass defection, in fact, if there’s any movement, it is a movement towards APC.
“From what is on the ground today, objectively, and you can go and conduct vox pop in the streets of Osun, the party to beat is APC and the aspirant that will get the mandate of APC is Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, no doubt about it.”
He said the group was backing the incumbent Governor because of his giant leap in the provision of dividends of democracy through infrastructure, social amenities, security, the welfare of workers, prudent management of scarce resources.
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“The reason for doing this is that as friends of Gboyega Oyetola, we have closely looked at his strides in governance and his achievements in the past three years about a few months.
The health insurance scheme has also made available healthcare for the vulnerable in society as well as youth engagement.
“As I am speaking now, Gboyega Oyetola is flagging off the recruitment of 1000 new teachers to be able to develop the education of Osun. In the area of health, about 332 primary health care centres in all the 332 wards in the state, more than 300 have been completed and the remaining will be completed soon.
“In the area of road infrastructure, it is critical for easy access and survival of the people like Adeigbajo road, Ede to Ejigbo road, Moro-Edun-Ipotodu. And several other access roads. In terms of inter-city road in Ile-Ife, and Ejigbo and Gbogan, they are all ongoing, he stated.
He maintained that the APC is on the ground with six out of the nine seats in the House of Representatives, two out of the three Senators and 23 out of the 26 members of the Osun State House of Assembly.
“So when you have a political party that has in its fold two senators, six house of Representatives members and 23 elected State legislators I don’t think it is beyond any doubt to say the party to beat in the State of Osun is the APC and the leadership of the party has provided structure to ensure that we deliver massively. So no doubt, the State of our party is strong, vibrant, cohesive and articulate to deliver for the party in the 2022 election,” he said.
